Michigan Senate Subcommittee Proposes Penalty for Speech About Labor Unions

[Omaha Steve]

X post Socialist Progressive..

http://www.thefire.org/michigan-senate-subcommittee-proposes-penalty-for-speech-about-labor-unions/




By Susan Kruth on April 1, 2014

In response to Michigan State University’s (MSU’s) plans to adopt programs from the National Labor College, the Michigan Senate’s Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee has authored a budget provision (PDF) that would fine public universities within the state $500,000 for “each occurrence” of “any instructional activity that encourages or discourages union organizing of employees.” If enacted, this provision would significantly infringe on the academic freedom of state universities and their professors and set a dangerous precedent for those who wish to silence debate on any number of controversial issues.

The change to the budget is summarized in the Michigan Senate’s bill analysis (PDF):

[A] public university that receives funds under section 236 shall not participate in any instructional activity that encourages or discourages union organizing of employees including, but not limited to participating with any business or union, or group of businesses or unions, in hosting, sponsoring, administering, or in any way facilitating an academy, seminar, class, course, conference, or program that provides instruction, in whole or in part, in techniques for encouraging or discouraging employees in regard to union organizing. The appropriation in section 236 for any university that participates in an activity described in this section shall be reduced by $500,000 for each occurrence.

FULL story at link.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. There are lawyers who must be salivating to challenge this pro-bono

Clearly unconstitutional.

[JEFF9K]

2. So there will be no PRO-UNION talk to counterbalance the ...

... thousands of hours of ANTI-UNION talk on Fox News and talk radio.